A Demelza of His Own
by Mercedes88
Summary: One dinner/evening with Ross and Demelza reveals much to Dr. Dwight Enys. And perhaps even Ross Poldark learns a few things himself. Set in S1 current Poldark series, shortly after the introduction of Dwight Enys.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi all! I'm not a new fanfiction writer, but I am new to the Poldark genre. This is the first of 3 parts, set in S1 of the current Poldark series, right after Dwight Enys is introduced to the story.**

 **A small disclaimer: I've never the read the books and have only seen parts of the 1970's version of Poldark, so this is purely based on the current Masterpiece series and my imagination. I'm also from the U.S. and have little clue about Cornish accents. Forgive me for any mistakes I make in that area.**

 **Hope you enjoy! Would love to hear any feedback you may have!**

* * *

 **A Demelza of His Own**

Dwight Enys leaned back with a contented sigh and patted his stomach in appreciation. " _That_ was delicious, Demelza."

Demelza Poldark's beaming smile only broadened when her husband enhanced their guest's praise with some of his own as he took delight in licking his fingers free of every last morsel of the tasty dinner she'd prepared for Dwight's first meal at Nampara. "I told you she was a marvelous cook."

"Judas, Ross." Rolling her clear blue eyes as a faint blush colored her cheeks, Demelza couldn't help but tweak her husband in front of his old friend. A friend who, despite his breeding and education, she felt completely at ease with after only a few short hours of meeting him. "I could serve you stone pie, and you would gladly eat it with that healthy appetite of yours."

"I remember that appetite. Used to say he could eat a whole cow back in Virginia." Dwight smirked, blue eyes dancing as he joined Demelza in teasing one of his dearest friends. "With your talents in the kitchen, Demelza, it's no small wonder Ross here isn't as fat as a rolly-polly."

"Oh, he has his ways of workin' it off." Ross chuckled knowingly as Demelza sent him a flirtatiously saucy wink. She began clearing the table, only to return a few moments later with tumblers and a jug of rum.

Ross' arm circled her expanding waist as he drew her to him, concern etching his handsome features. "Only two glasses?"

Seemingly oblivious that they had an audience, Demelza and Ross seemed to be trapped in their own world and wholly unwilling to escape. Running her fingers though his dark, unruly hair, she smiled away his worry. "I've had a long day and must be abed. Your son…"

"My daughter." Ross corrected, his eyes dancing with laughter as he placed a gentle hand on Demelza's protruding stomach.

"Your _son_ …" Demelza asserted tweaking his nose playfully in what was clearly an ongoing dispute about the sex of their unborn child. "…has been quite active today. I must take advantage of his stillness and get some rest. Besides…" She cast a glance in Dwight's direction. "…tis been a while since you've seen Dwight. You'll be wantin' to catch up." She leaned down, a coy smile tracing her lips. "And you don't need _me_ for that."

"I need you for everything." Ross quipped, gaze plastered to hovering lips only seconds before an anticipated kiss rerouted to land on his cheek, signaling his goodnight.

She made it as far as the bottom stairs before Ross excused himself to follow in her wake, like a lost puppy searching for its master.

Dwight grinned to himself.

In all the years he had known him, Dwight had seen many a young woman lose their heart to the handsome and dashing Ross Poldark. He had never once returned the favor.

Oh, how times had changed.

Ross Poldark in love was quite a sight to behold.

Not that Dwight could blame him.

Demelza was everything Ross had described.

And more.

Watching the carefree and loving interactions between the young couple had an oddly unsettling effect on Dwight. For the first time ever, he _felt_ the lack of a true companion weighing down on him.

He suspected that in Ross and Demelza's presence, it would not be the last time.

Despite their whispers, Dwight could clearly ascertain the reason for Ross' sudden absence from the table, and even more clearly their words…

"Demelza."

"Hmmm?"

The swift swish of fabric against the stone floor and the slight hitch in Demelza's breathing was the result of an impatient Ross spinning his pretty wife around to face him.

" _That_ was _not_ a proper kiss."

"We have a guest." Demelza gently reminded her husband as she languidly wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers instinctively diving into his hair. "You will get a _proper_ kiss when _you_ come to bed."

Ross' eyes narrowed, contemplating his wife's response. "And if you are asleep when I do?"

"Well, then I guess you'll have to wait 'til the morn." Demelza responded flippantly.

A pause.

"Or…" Ross' voice lowered suggestively.

"Or?" Demelza repeated, feigning innocence.

"Or I could just wake you."

Another pause. Sparkling blue eyes. A blush as fiery as her red hair that made Ross wish he had banished all friends to the ends of the earth.

Or had no friends at all.

"Yes, Ross." The smile in her voice could be heard in the next room. "You can just wake me."

"Get some rest, my love." Ross' gaze dropped to Demelza's lips, desire darkening his eyes. "You will need it."

"And _you_ be careful of the stories you tell on me." Demelza warned, amusement sparkling in her eyes. "Else it will be _you_ who will need the rest."

"I shall tell _such_ lies…" Grinning, Ross whispered seconds before he claimed her lips in a kiss that left no doubt of his future intentions. "…that he will want a Demelza of his own."

Tbc…


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Thanks for the reviews! Greatly appreciated! Here's the next part. Though it's a conversation between the boys, hopefully a few things will be revealed from Ross' perspective. I feel as if Ross really doesn't have that many people he can voice his feelings to, and perhaps he wouldn't reveal as much as I have him doing in this chapter to a friend, but I wanted to give him that outlet. And having to explain the beginning of his relationship with Demelza to someone who wasn't there to see it, I thought would be a good way to do that.**

 **The next chapter will be all Ross and Demelza.**

 **Hope you enjoy and if you have a moment, drop a line of review!**

 **Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"A toast." Dwight Enys raised a glass, his gaze locked on his host. "To your future son…"

"Or daughter." Ross Poldark corrected with a smirk. He'd been doing the same to Demelza for so long now, the correction was instinctive.

"Or daughter." Dwight repeated with an acknowledging tilt of his head before adding to his toast. "And to the woman who puts up with the likes of _you_ day in and day out."

"I'll _certainly_ drink to that!" Ross commented happily before clinking glasses with Dwight and touching the rim to his lips, draining the glass in one gulp.

"Do you really not want a son?" Dwight queried after he'd done the same. He'd been surprised by his friend's insistence on having a daughter and suspected there was more to it than Ross' unconventional ways. "At the very least to carry on your family name?"

"Of course, one day. In truth, right now, I have no preference." Ross answered honestly with a shrug as he refilled their glasses. "As long as the child is healthy and happy and has Demelza's generous heart, I will be content."

"Then why tease Demelza so?"

"Because it is endlessly amusing." Ross stated as if the answer were as obvious as the drink in their hands as he inched closer to the truth. " _And_ because Demelza is so set on giving me a son, that I felt a daughter needed equal representation."

Shaking his head, Dwight rolled his eyes. "Of course you did."

Growing serious, Ross thought back on the early days of Demelza's stay at Nampara. Even if he had never seen the scars on her back, he would have known she'd been mistreated. It was evident in her downcast gaze, the way she cowered the first few times he'd raised his voice to her. The very idea of any woman, but especially his Demelza, being struck turned his stomach.

"But the _real_ reason…" Swallowing hard, Ross' expression tightened. "As a child, Demelza suffered much at her father's hand. She was more a beast of burden than a cherished daughter. I want her to know that our child, _especially_ our daughter, will always be wanted and loved and will have nothing to fear from me. Ever."

"No one seeing you with Demelza could ever doubt it." Dwight assessed softly, impressed at the depth of Ross' feelings on the matter. Not many men of Ross' position would think the same. Children were often seen as a duty, a means to an end, instead of living, breathing extensions of their parents' love.

"Then perhaps there's hope for me yet." Brightening suddenly, Ross grinned then inclined his head in the direction of the fireplace as he offered up a suggestion. "Let's retire near the fire. You grab the rum, I'll get the tray. If you thought dinner was delicious, wait until you taste Demelza's desserts."

Grabbing the tray laden with delicious delicacies, Ross stood from the table and led the way to the bench and chairs arranged for just such a reunion.

"So, Demelza…" Dwight began with a grin once they were settled.

Sensing where this line of questioning was going, Ross began to chuckle as he handed a small plate to Dwight and began perusing the tarts and sweets his wife's skilled hands had created. Plucking a few of his favorites out of the selection, Ross leaned back and sighed contentedly as he bit into a small tart.

"Yes?"

"How the hell did that happen? Last we met, you were set on coming home to wed…" Still choosing his dessert, Dwight paused trying to conjure the correct name. "…Elizabeth, wasn't it?"

The smile drained from Ross' face. At the mention of his former love, dark thoughts, as always, invaded like a storm. "Yes. Elizabeth."

"So? What happened?" Dwight paused, sensing the change in Ross' mood. "If…I might ask."

"What happened?" Ross propped his feet up on a stool and leaned back, his gaze cast upward to the ceiling. His voice was tinged with the bitterness that always accompanied that time in his life. "I guess you could blame Fate or a series of mistakes. I'm not sure which at this point."

"That sounds like a fascinating tale." Dwight commented lightly.

"Not sure how fascinating." Ross returned as he took another bite of tart. "Let's see. First, my _regiment_ told everyone I was dead. Then, not knowing this, _I_ failed to inform my family and friends that I was very much alive. And then, by the time I made it home, _Elizabeth_ had already promised herself to Francis."

"Your cousin?" Dwight inquired, a sandy blonde eyebrow raised in inquiry. "That must have been a blow."

"It was." Ross agreed reflectively.

Dwight remembered the many times Ross had waxed on about the beautiful and dainty Elizabeth Chynoweth. Yet to see him now with Demelza, it was as if Elizabeth had never existed. Thoroughly intrigued, Dwight prompted further exploration of the moments that had led his friend to this state of wedded bliss.

"And yet you are happy now." Dwight ventured.

The warmth of Ross' one-word response more than confirmed Dwight's deduction. "Very."

"So, then tell me. How did you meet the reason for this happiness of yours?"

At the thought of his wife, Ross' expression brightened, a grin beginning from one side of his face and spreading to the other as his eyes crinkled with delight. "Would you believe in a dog fight?"

Dwight chuckled, thinking of the woman he'd known for the space of an afternoon that felt like a lifetime. Her warmth. Her spunk. The way she'd teased and tweaked Ross into abandoning a dear friend for a mere kiss. "Actually, I would."

"God, when I think back…" Ross began, a gentle smile on his face. "First time I saw her, I mistook her for a boy."

"A boy?"

Ross nodded. "She was dressed in her brother's old worn out clothes, scraping with the locals in Truro as they were about to put her dog in the ring. I stepped in to stop her from a beating and…" Ross stopped his story and took a well-deserved swig before shrugging helplessly. "Well, as they say, the rest is history."

"Something tells me there's much more to the story than that." Dwight prompted. "Especially if you thought she was a boy."

"That error was soon remedied." Ross supplied absently.

"So then?"

Ross glanced at his friend, wondering how much of his history with Demelza to divulge. A man of action, Ross Poldark was not given to long periods of introspection. And yet, Dwight Enys, with his insightful questions and compassionate ear, was the very type of man to draw reflection out of one.

Since he had, as he had admonished Demelza, simply accepted their union as fact, Ross had taken little time dwelling on the whys and wherefores of, as she put it, 'how they came to be.' Instead, he just allowed himself to be surprised by it every day, while whispering his thanks to God each night.

But now…

Perhaps it was the drink. Or maybe it was the chance to tell his tale to a friend who would instinctively understand, not judge. Someone who clearly admired her. Someone wholly unconnected to the ugliness of the past, but who knew him from _before_ when the only woman alive for him was Elizabeth.

Whatever the reason, Ross indulged Dwight's curiosity, touching on the highlights of his unexpected union.

"It was clear from the start she _had_ nothing, _came_ from nothing. Even so, I had no other thought than getting her back to her family in Illugen after our meeting in Truro. But when it came time to part…" A gentle smile haunted his lips. "…I didn't want to see her go."

"It's a mystery why really." He stared into the amber liquid filling his glass, contemplating the very question that had niggled at the back of his mind for so long. "At the time, I barely had two coins to rub together and too many mouths beyond myself to feed." Shaking his head in disbelief, Ross' tone gentled with awe. "I do not know what possessed me, but instead of watching her walk away, I employed her as my kitchen maid."

Amazed once again by Ross' boldness and lack of convention, Dwight's observation was accurate to a fault. "I'm sure the locals had a field day with _that_."

"Oh, they did. Rumors abounded about…" Ross' voice morphed into the condemnatory pronouncements of the society he detested. "…the _great sin_ between the master of Nampara and his scullery maid." Dropping the intonation, Ross' lips quirked into a wry smile. "The irony? In the years she'd been with me, she and I never did a damn thing."

Ross paused, his thoughts flying back to the night that everything changed. "That is, until the night we did."

"You don't mean…" Dwight began. "But Ross. To seduce a maid…"

" _I_ seduce _her_?" Amused, Ross' gaze shifted to the fire. "No, my friend. It was _she_ who seduced _me_."

"Really? Demelza?"

Thoughts full of the events leading to that night darkened Ross' expression.

Jim's trial. His own abysmal defense that sent the boy to prison for two long years. Having to tell Jinny, his family, about Jim's sentence...

"It had been a brutal day. I hadn't felt that defeated, that…useless…since coming home to the wreck that was my life. Then I saw Demelza in a dress my mother used to wear and…I lost it. Told her in no uncertain terms to take off the dress, pack her bags and leave."

"Oh, Ross…"

Hearing the disapproval in Dwight's voice, Ross hastened on. "I apologized, of course, but a line had been crossed."

"A line?"

"In my anger, my…need for consolation took me over and I…kissed her." Ross admitted softly, partly in shame at the way he'd treated Demelza that night, partly in gratitude that he hadn't been in full control of his actions. For had he been, he might never have the happiness embodied in the woman now resting comfortably in their bed. "I stopped it from going further, but…still."

"I see." Dwight's brows knit in confusion. "But you said _she_ seduced _you_."

"Yes, well." Ross downed his glass and placed it on the small table beside him. "She came to my room later, and in her own Demelza way…" Ross grinned openly, a chuckle making its way into his voice. "…she dared me take the dress off her myself."

Dwight laughed. "Sounds like you met your match."

"In more ways than one." Ross readily agreed, a new thought pulling the smile from his lips and placed wonder in his eyes. "I slept peacefully in her arms that night." Ross' unprompted confession captured Dwight's attention. "It was the first time in years."

"And so _that's_ why you married her."

"Hmm?" As if awakened from a fond memory, Ross' gaze met Dwight's as his mind caught up with his friend's assumption.

Had that been why? They had, of course, formed a companionship by then. He was able to confide in her his burdens, his hopes, knowing his ramblings were safe with her. Still. He'd had no real thought of finding peace and consolation in her embrace. In fact, he'd explicitly told Margaret that no one _could_ console him that night.

How wrong he had been.

Still, it had not coaxed him into a promise of a lifetime.

"No. In truth, I had no thought of doing so." Ross pushed himself off the bench and grabbed the poker to stir the fire, his voice echoing the confusion the man he'd once been must have felt in the not so distant past. "I'd barely recovered from Elizabeth's betrayal, if recovered is even accurate. I was focused on the mine with marriage a far distant goal. As for Demelza, I honestly had no idea what to think or feel about what had happened. What was right, what was wrong. If I should send her away. If I wanted it to happen again. And then…"

"Then?"

"Elizabeth came for a visit." Ross stated simply as he replaced the poker and gestured toward the very seats he and Dwight were occupying. "Sitting here with her, talking to her, I thought, 'My God, what have I done?' No two women could be more different. There was Elizabeth – perfect, beautiful, cultured Elizabeth – the very picture of everything I'd ever wanted, and yet..."

Ross sighed, shaking his head at the memory of the moment Demelza burst into the room, skidded to a stop then awkwardly offered untamed wildflowers to a cultured Elizabeth. As wildly inappropriate as Demelza had seemed compared to Elizabeth in that moment, the generosity of her heart was in that simple, honest gesture.

Thinking back on it now, Ross' heart swelled, and he found himself loving her all the more for it.

"Yet?" Dwight prompted.

"All day, all I could think about was…" A dreamy smile curved his lips as Ross allowed himself to fall under the spell that Demelza had managed to weave around him that night. And countless nights since. With those copper curls that wound so effortlessly around his fingers. The pale skin so soft and alluring. And her lips, so gentle and yielding, so urgent and demanding. "…Demelza."

Feeling the weight of Dwight's amused gaze, Ross shook his head and cleared his throat in an attempt to regain some composure as he continued his tale. "Except for a brief moment during Elizabeth's visit, I hadn't seen her, so I went in search of her only to discover…she was gone."

Staring into the fire, Ross' expression layered with the many emotions he had felt the moment Jud told him Demelza had last been seen on her way out of his life.

Surprise. Disappointment. Anger. And sudden, inexplicable despair.

Leaning forward with intense interest, Dwight was as wrapped up in the telling of Ross' tale as much as Ross was. "Gone?"

Ross nodded, his voice devoid of emotion. "She'd left. Packed her things without a word and just…left." Returning the poker to its place by the fireplace, Ross turned to his friend with an admission he'd never made before. Not even to himself. "I couldn't find her fast enough. And when I did…"

"That's when you knew."

"Knew?"

"That you loved her."

Had he loved Demelza in that moment? Perhaps he had. Though if he did, he certainly didn't know it.

He knew only that he couldn't bear the thought of her _not_ being in his life.

Ross' lips tilted with a wry smile. "You know me, Dwight. I am not as enlightened as that." His eyes sparkled with another memory. "No, that little revelation took me longer to suss out. Still, when I found her that day walking out of my life, something in me…I dare say, a desperation…took me over. I knew then and there that I needed her. That I _wanted_ her. In a way that was supposed to be wrong, but felt so fundamentally right. And so…" With a helpless shrug, Ross grinned. "…we married."

Returning to his seat, Ross grabbed the bottle of rum, emptying it first into Dwight's glass, then his. Reclining back on the bench, a contented sigh filled the room.

"Have you ever regretted it?"

"Regret finding love? Happiness? Support and companionship?" Ross smiled, the answer seeming to surprise him as much as it did his friend. "Not for a single moment."

Contemplating his friend's contemplative expression, Ross took the opportunity to turn inquisitor himself.

"What about you? Anyone special in your life?"

Dwight shook his head and leaned back, stretching his legs out toward the fire in front of him. "Not yet. But seeing you and Demelza together, it…"

"Makes you jealous?" Ross teased, knowing jealousy was one of the last characteristics Dwight Enys was capable of displaying.

"Perhaps a little." Dwight admitted with a good natured chuckle. "She is, as you've pointed out, quite a cook."

"It is but _one_ of her _many_ talents." Ross agreed, his mind already making a list of her many other attributes. One of which he'd tasted before sending her off to bed.

Sobering, Dwight's gaze shifted to the fire. "No, seeing you with Demelza, how supportive and carefree you are together, how happy…it gives me hope." His gaze shifted back to his friend. "She's perfect for you, Ross."

"Yes, she is." Ross nodded, admitting it freely for the first time. Though, in truth, he'd felt the truth of it long before this moment. Focusing on his friend, he clarified. "Though, to be clear, we do have our struggles."

"Yes, but you've chosen a partner that will be in the struggle _with_ you, not _against_ you." Dwight responded candidly. "And that is what I seek. Someone who understands and supports me _and_ my dreams, instead of chaffing against them. The life I've chosen may not always be an easy one."

"To that, I can relate." Ross commented, his mind shifting briefly to Elizabeth and how he'd actually found himself, more often than not, grateful that their lives had never merged. For there was an incongruous thought of the perfectly poised Elizabeth as mistress of his humble Nampara. No matter how many times he'd tried, the two pictures just never seemed to fit.

"It's all that more important than to choose the right partner." Dwight commented, unaware that his thoughts were running dangerously close to Ross' own musings. Suddenly raising his glass in toast to Ross and Demelza's love, Dwight added. "I can imagine no better mistress of Nampara."

Ross raised his glass with a nod and a knowing smile. "Neither can I."

Taking a drink, Dwight fell silent for a moment, and Ross allowed him his thoughts, knowing he would share them when ready. "My very own Demelza's out there somewhere, Ross. I just know it."

Ross chuckled.

"What?" Dwight queried with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well, if it's truly a _Demelza_ you're looking for…" Ross quipped, his face splitting open with a grin. "I suggest you start frequenting dog fights."

Tbc…


	3. Chapter 3

Hi all,

I truly apologize for the amount of time it's taken to get this third and final chapter to you on this story. Real life drains the creative juices and time, unfortunately.

Thanks to those who have reviewed and encouraged me to to provide an ending. Hopefully you will enjoy!

Thanks,  
M

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Despite his earlier promise, Ross Poldark carefully slipped into bed, trying not to disturb his resting wife.

Though Demelza was strong and healthy, carrying a child was work in and of itself. Not to mention all she did to keep Nampara a place worth calling home. And even though she would rarely admit it, Ross knew she needed her rest.

Just when he thought he'd managed to settle in without disturbing her, she stirred.

"Ross?" Demelza mumbled as she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Has Dwight left?"

"Yes, love. He's gone." Ross whispered as he molded his body along hers, wrapping an arm around her and laying a gentle hand against their unborn child as he planted a lingering kiss on her exposed cheek. "Now, go back to sleep."

"Did you have a good time catchin' up?" Ignoring his gentle command, Demelza shifted in bed, a feat that took slightly longer than usual given her condition, and turned to face him. Betwixt and between instinctive sleep and willful alertness, her lashes fluttered like butterfly's wings.

"Yes, a very good time." Ross answered softly as he brushed away a clump of copper curls that had fallen over her forehead before running a finger along the curve of her face.

 _And what a dear, lovely face it is._

The thought cut through Ross like the slice of a knife. In perfect contrast, it brought no pain.

She was so unlike any other woman he'd ever known.

She was not nearly the handsomest he'd ever seen. Nor would her features conform to the classical definition of beauty. But there was something in her natural, untamed earthiness that drew him in and captivated his attention, spiked his desire. So much so, that he often found himself unable to look away.

And that smile. God, how that smile had upended his world and rooted him to a place he would forever call home.

As he studied her now, Ross catalogued the many things about Demelza's face that he loved. The freckles dotting her nose. Her creamy skin. The long lashes framing the most clear, intriguing shade of azure eyes. And her lips. Those full lips that caused her cheeks to shine like two ripe apples whenever they formed slow, heart-stopping smiles.

Ross unconsciously sighed and hoped, not for the first time, for a daughter that would be her mother's replica.

"I like Dwight." Unaware of the thoughts turning in her husband's mind, Demelza sighed contentedly as she nuzzled her face into the palm of Ross' hand.

Ross smiled at her simple confession. "The feeling is mutual, I can assure you. In fact, if you aren't careful, I dare say, you are in danger of making him fall in love with you."

The blush on her cheeks, evident even in the dusk, contrasted with the good natured roll of her eyes. "Judas, Ross. To say such a thing."

"It's true. He was telling me how he is now on the search for a Demelza of his own." Ross stated proudly as he sent her a wink. "Must have been that cooking of yours."

"Oh, hush." Demelza's hands made contact with his bare chest as she playfully pushed away his compliment. "Dinner wasn't that good."

"Then perhaps the culprit is everything _else_ I told him about you." Ross offered with a teasing glint in his dark eyes.

This seemed to pique her interest. She repositioned her head on the pillow so she could better see his features, illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window. "And what ye be sayin' 'bout me?"

"Oh, nothing much." Ross began, fighting back a smile he knew would instantly give him away. "Just how difficult you are. How pigheaded and stubborn. How you never do a damn thing around this place, and how irritatingly difficult it is to find you when there's pleasure to be had."

"Are these the lies that has him head over heels for me then?" Harkening back to Ross' earlier promise, Demelza's smile lit up the dark room. "With a description like that, we might point him in Prudie's direction."

Ross chuckled. "Jud would only be too pleased."

Demelza shared his amusement at his good-natured ribbing of their often wayward servants.

"What did you _really_ tell him?" Demelza inquired softly after a moment of silence, her expressive eyes half-full of hope, half of curiosity.

"I told him how we met, married..." Ross answered absently, his focus on the trail of goosebumps his fingers were leaving on her skin in the wake of their featherlike exploration of her shoulder, her arm, then back up again to run along the long column of her neck. "…fell in love."

"The order t'was different for me, but who am I to complain as long as we're in love together now." At Ross' silence, Demelza gazed openly up at him, prompting a response. "And are we, Ross?"

"Yes. Very much so." Ross' smile deepened as a dark eyebrow rose. "In fact, I think I realized something tonight."

"What?" The question was full of breathless curiosity.

"That I've loved you much longer than even I ever knew."

"And when _did_ you know it?" Demelza whispered, a suspicion forming in her mind.

"Christmas at Trenwith." Ross answered without hesitation. "When you sang to me as if I were the only man in the world, and I listened..." Ross' lips touched hers in a gentle kiss, his confession a whisper between them. "...as if you were the only woman."

Demelza's eyes brightened as a hint of a smile touched her lips. "So, if you knew at Christmas, then what be makin' you think you loved me before that?"

Ross paused to consider her question. It wasn't that he didn't have an answer, but would his answer even make sense to her? It scarce made sense to him, and yet…

"Three times, my love." Ross pronounced enigmatically before expanding his explanation as he tightened his embrace around her small frame, his actions unconsciously echoing his words. "Three times you tried to leave me…and three times, I couldn't let you go. If that isn't love, I don't know what is."

Demelza's brows furrowed in thought. "Three?"

"The day we first met. The day your father came here to claim you, and after our first night together."

"Nay, Ross. I was but a child then, and you barely knew me." Demelza protested, clearly having a hard time wrapping her head around Ross' latest confession. "At least, not the first two times."

"True, but I knew enough to know I wanted you in my life." Ross commented, his thoughts drifting to one of those moments and an unexpected question. "Do you remember when I was bringing you home after the fight with your father? When we met Elizabeth on the road?"

Demelza nodded her silent answer, not quite sure where this line of questioning was headed – especially with the mention of Ross' first love.

"Do you remember what I told her?"

Demelza paused, Ross' words from what felt like another lifetime coming back to her slowly, though not precisely. "T'was something 'bout losin' something…"

"And having found it, I was going home." Ross finished for her softly. "Demelza, what I'd lost was hope. And what I found…was you." He tweaked her nose playfully, gaining a winning smile. "You've always made me believe that whatever I faced, it was not as bad as I thought it to be. And you've done it…just by being you."

"But…I don't see how."

"No?" Ross inquired with a raised eyebrow. "How else would you explain the short stick that life handed you, the things you suffered before coming to me and still being able to whistle a happy tune while working your fingers to the bone? Or believing in love as strongly as you do, despite all obstacles." A lopsided smile attacked his lips. "Or coaxing this difficult, brooding man into blissful contentment."

"T'aint nothin' special 'bout me, Ross." Demelza shrugged her shoulder, dislodging a strap and causing it to fall down her arm. "Just always been that way."

"Exactly." Ross confirmed as he laced his fingers through hers. "It's who you are, Demelza, that filled up this empty space inside of me, without even trying. Now, maybe it wasn't love back then as we now know it to be, but it was hope. And it was that _hope_ that began my fall." He nuzzled her nose with his own as his eyes drifted closed, a soft confession falling from his lips. "And I've been falling ever since."

The smile that spread slowly across Demelza's lips made Ross ache inside. If only he could freeze that smile or put it in a bottle to carry around with him, he knew he would always be the happiest of men.

"Ross Poldark, there are times you do have a way with words."

"Only times?" Ross teased with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"Well, had you said something like _that_ to me when you asked me to marry you, I would have said yes right away." Demelza's retort ignited a riot of laughter in her eyes.

Ross chuckled at the memory of his proposal, her immediate refusal, and his arguments to coax an inevitable 'yes' out of her. "Well, how could I? I was a stubborn fool with only a hint of the treasure in my possession."

"And now?" Demelza prompted, tears stinging her eyes.

Framing her face in his hands, the love in Ross' eyes glittered like brilliant stars in the sky. "And _now_ , my beloved wife, I'm a stubborn fool who didn't get what he deserved. He got what he had sense enough to hold onto. Try as he might, there's no way Dwight will ever find a Demelza of his own."

"No?"

"No." Ross affirmed, his lips hovering over hers – ghosting, teasing, smiling – as he declared his most sacred truth. "Because I have the unrivaled original. And I'll be damned if I ever let her go."

The end


End file.
